In the past, devices developed to train or guide bat swings have not allowed for variances in positions of the baseball pitch or swing. They required too many fixed positions that do not occur in the reality of a baseball game. Through research of the swings of baseball players with the highest batting averages, it has been discovered that players need more range of mobility to feel comfortable in their swing and to be successful.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,886,267, for a Baseball Practice Apparatus, the device was constructed to aid proper positioning of a batter's elbow and back arm. The batter must place his back arm against a "swing guide" and swing at a baseball placed on an elevated tee. This does not allow the batter to back swing with his arms and torso, which is required for a proper swing. In addition, according to its design, the "swing guide" is in direct line with the center of the home plate. As a result of this, when the back arm is touching the "swing guide", then the hands are already over the center of the plate, which means that half of the distance that the hands would normally travel in a complete and proper swing has already been completed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,087,039, for a Baseball Swing Training Device, the device was designed to aid the batter in proper positioning of his swing. The batter must swing his bat between two parallel bars on a downward slope and hit a ball resting on a tee on the bottom member. He must also continue swinging the bat in a downward motion. The device does not allow the bat to have a "follow-through" into an upward motion so that the swing will create a driving force behind the ball.
In contrast to the above devices, this invention allows the most realistic baseball batting practice by the batter using the device. As a result of this, the batter can feel more confident when placed in a real baseball game. All features of this invention include the arm positioner, the size, and being attached to the body. Thus, these features allow for the most movement of the batter, while teaching the most basic skill in batting, (that being keeping the rear forearm at a right angle to the body, while in line with the shoulders). If the full rear arm is not in the proper position and is closer to the body, it restricts movement of the arms and bat, thus making the batter unable to complete a proper swing.